Blackman said there wasn’t an executive director of the CBA until the 1970s, with much of the work being handled by an executive secretary and help from the Lion’s Club who still help today, “So that’s where, you know, you give your old eye glasses to because they recycle those for those who are in need and we call on them when we need some financial support for those who need, say, a white cane, or different things they support for us.”

The Chautauqua Blind Association will be holding a centennial celebration dinner on Wednesday, July 28th at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel. The evening will feature dinner, a silent auction, and program on the history of the agency. Tickets for the dinner are $65 and can be purchased at chautauquablind.org.

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN VIA SOUNDCLOUD

Originally airing Thursday, May 2, 2019

WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with James Prendergast Library Executive Director Tina Scott and Board President Joni Blackman about the library has been able to cope in 2019, given some recent financial challenges.

The James Prendergast Library

According to the Jamestown Post-Journal, the library board recently met and discussed officers for 2018, with current board vice president Joni Blackman expected to assume the role of president for next year.

Blackman will replace Tom Rankin, who is terming off of the board next month.

The board has been faced with challenges and criticism in recent years. A drop in donations from the public, combined with significant reductions in funding from the city has led the library board and executive Director Tina Scott scrambling to find ways to make ends meet. They’ve done so by cutting back on hours of operation, reducing staff size, and also auctioning off the library’s classic art collection, valued at $1.17 million.

So far nine paintings have been sold and have brought in $338,400, with an additional nine paintings going to auction at Sotheby’s tomorrow.

The library’s annual operating budget for this year is just under $1 million.

The Read-A-Thon honors the late Jim Roselle, a well-known area radio personality for decades. He was also a longtime library board member who used to say a library card was the most valuable card in anyone’s wallet. More than 40 readers will select 10-minute excerpts from favorite books, poems, plays and articles to share with a live audience. Three of the first readers to sign up are Jim’s widow Kathy Roselle, State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, and Chautauqua County Legislator Elisabeth Rankin.

To volunteer to read at the Read-A-Thon, call trustee and event chairperson Joni Blackman at 969-1946. Online sign-ups will be available soon.

Because the event is a fundraiser, readers are asked to find sponsors for their reading slots. Businesses and individuals are also requested to support a half hour or an hour of reading in order to make the event a success.

People can also donate online at www.prendergastlibrary.org by clicking on the Support button and marking their donation for the Read-A-Thon.

According to Tina Scott, the library’s executive director, June 10 will be the last day of the summer bargain book sale with half-price titles. The library will also be hosting a petting zoo from 1 to 3 p.m. The Read-A-Thon will also feature food, prizes, family activities and surprises for those attending.

“It will be a jam-packed day of activities and fun,” Ms. Blackman said.

Proceeds from the event will support the library’s materials budget and its ongoing services and programs.  Prendergast Library is located at 509 Cherry St., Jamestown. For information, call 484-7135.

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN HERE

The 2016 Doors Open Jamestown event is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at varying locations across the city.

Doors Open Jamestown features free admission to greater Jamestown area attractions, raffle prizes at each location, restaurant specials, and more. The event is sponsored by Jamestown Up Close, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, and Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce with support from the participating attractions and merchants.

“Not everyone knows that the exhibits and features of our local attractions change quite regularly,” said Edwin Rodriguez Jr., events and marketing associate for Jamestown Up Close. “This event is for our area residents to get out and about with their friends and family to learn about some of the great features we have to offer here,” said Rodriguez.

Sixteen local attractions and nearly two dozen restaurants and retail stores partner together for this annual event to celebrate the region.

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute on Curtis St. in Jamestown is one of several organizations offering free admission on Sat., Jan. 16 as part of Doors Open Jamestown.

By visiting one or more of the participating attractions, guests have the opportunity to win gift baskets at each location. Those locations include:

• Busti Grist Mill
• Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame
• Dykeman Young Gallery and Vintage Emporium
• Fenton History Center
• Infinity Visual and Performing Arts (Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• James Prendergast Library
• Audubon Nature Center
• Jamestown Gateway Train Station
• Jamestown Savings Bank Arena
• Lucile M. Wright Air Museum
• Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum
• Lucille Ball Little Theater
• Martz Observatory (Frewsburg)
• Reg Lenna Center for the Arts
• Robert H. Jackson Center
• Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History

The former Fenton Mansion, home of the Fenton History Center in Jamestown NY.

“It’s great to see so many local residents learn something new about their hometown,” said Joni Blackman, executive director for the Fenton Historical Society. “This has turned into a festive day for Jamestown and the greater region. I have yet to hear a complaint, even when the weather is stormy,” said Blackman.

Area attractions aren’t the only ones who participate in Doors Open Jamestown. The event also encourages various restaurants, bars, and retail shops to work together to co-promote one another now and in the future.

“Doors Open Jamestown is a day to celebrate the wonderful amenities our community has here all year long,” said Frank Besse, co-owner of Brazil Craft Beer and Wine Lounge. “I think Brazil complements these amenities well with our unique selection of great beer and wine in a relaxing and characterful setting,” said Besse.

Participating restaurants and retail locations are encouraged to offer unique menu items and special pricing for the day.

For more information on Doors Open Jamestown or for a list of participating venues, restaurants, and stores, please visit www.DoorsOpenJamestown.com or call check out the event’s Facebook page.

The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and Jamestown Up Close are organizations that support downtown and neighborhood revitalization in Jamestown, NY, by promoting reinvestment, stakeholder engagement, and innovation.

The Prendergast Library board has cancelled its meeting for Thursday due to a lack of a quorum. The meeting will not be rescheduled. Instead the board will resume discussing its budget during its next regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 17, 2015 at 12:15.

-j. sample

# # #

JAMESTOWN – The Prendegast Library Board of Trustees will hold its has cancelled its November meeting Thursday afternoon due to a lack of a quorum. The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 12:15 p.m.

The board is wrestling with a budget deficit for not only this year, but also for the upcoming year. To deal with the shortfall, the board has already made the decision to cut at least one full time position and also reduce its hours of operation, with it no longer being open on Sundays. The library is also awaiting the finalization of the 2016 Jamestown City Budget so it knows exactly how much funding it will receive from the city next year.

This year the city gave the library $365,000 – but Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi has called for a $15,000 cut for next year. The Jamestown City Council has yet to decide if it will go with the cut or reduce funding even further. With the city facing its own budget shortfall, it’s unlikely any of the library funding will be restored.

Earlier this week, the city council met with Library Director Tina Scott to learn more about the library’s services and operating deficit. One of the questions brought forward was fundraising, with city council president Greg Rabb asking why there was a significant drop in public donations in recent years.  Scott and library trustee Joni Blackman explained that patron donations have gone down over time primarily because younger patrons are not donating at the same level as their senior counterparts. They also acknowledged that the public’s disappointment with previous library director Linda Mielke has also played a role in a decline in donations.

FATE OF ART COLLECTION STILL NOT KNOWN

Two pieces of artwork in the Prendergast collection that could be auctioned in the coming months: Left: “Industry” by French artist Eugene Romain Thirion – painted in 1874.
Right: “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” by French artist Leon Bazile Perrault, painted in 1884.
Both are from a collection of 32 paintings given to the library at the bequest of the Prendergast family.

The library board during its December meeting may also provide an update on its art collection, which is worth more than $3 million. The board is considering auctioning off some of the collection in order to raise funding for its endowment, which can then be used to help offset any operating deficits in future years.It has already approved a contract with Sotheby’s to be the agency to assist with selling the paintings, should they be deaccessioned.

The proposal to sell off some of the art collection has been met with resistance from some members of the community, who would prefer the collection remain in tact, rather than sold at auction. Houston businessman Jesse Marion and his wife Cathy Marion – a Jamestown native – have offered to provide funding to pay for the cost of restoring and exhibiting the collection. Library board president Tom Rankin said last month they will discuss that proposal further.

Thursday’s library board meeting begins at 12:15 p.m. in the library Fireplace Room and is open to the public.

During the public hearing, only two individuals spoke on the budget. One was Jamestown resident Doug Champ, who criticized city officials for not being creative enough to bring new economic development into the region, which has resulted in stagnate growth and the city reaching its constitutional tax limit.

“I assume that none of you wants a control board and you’ve not worked in a city with a control board, but that’s what you’re going to get. It’s just a matter of time before it’s going to happen. If you’re at 99.9 percent [of the constitutional tax limit] you might as well be at 100 percent. It’s just a matter of time for that to happen,” Champ said. “Why are we there? We’re there because the development and the full assessment of this city has not kept up with the rising cost of the public services. We do not know how to attract private  investment.”

Champ also criticized the city for not doing enough to promote its assets – such as the BPU – and location to help recruit research and development projects.

“We sit here with these assets, not understanding how we can attract research and development opportunities from outside the area,” Champ said. “The mayor should be traveling to economic development conferences around the country and have a bill of knowledge to provide to these people that are interested in doing things.”

Besides Champ, the only other person to speak out on the budget was resident Bill Locke, who urged the city to continue the same level of support for the James Prendergast Library as it has in the past. The mayor’s budget proposal calls for cutting $15,000 in funding to the library, giving it $350,000 in 2016.

COUNCIL REVIEWS SERVICE AGENCY FUNDING

Following the public hearing, city officials also held a work session to focus on the budget and met with representatives from three local agencies that receive funding from the city – the Prendergast Library, the Fenton History Center, and the Jamestown Area Senior Center.

During the meeting with Prendergast Library Director Tina Scott, the council asked about the library’s operations and services, as well as why fundraising for the library has gone down by nearly $100,000 during the past decade. Scott and board member Joni Blackman explained that a large portion of the donors for the library were seniors and that pool of donors has declined in size over the years, without younger adults stepping in to offset the loss. They also acknowledged concern from the community regarding the previous director, Linda Mielke, which led to a number of supporters no longer donating to the library.

Besides the library, the Senior Center is also slated to see a cut in funding. The mayor’s budget proposes cutting the entire $5,000 in annual funding the center receives. Activities director Shirley Vandenburg said if the funding is cut completely in next year’s budget, the senior center will have to close. In response city council members asked Vandenburg about other possible funding sources. The senior center provides services for about 130 seniors each month and is located at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 556 E. Second St.

The council also talked with Blackman, who also serves as the executive director of the Fenton History Center. Because the city owns the Fenton Mansion and related property, it is required to continue paying the cost for the upkeep of the facility. As a result, the Fenton did not see any reduction in funding for 2016.

So far, the council has yet to make any changes to the mayor’s $35.1 million executive budget, which is calling for a tax hike of 5.6 percent. The next budget work session is at 7 p.m. next Monday, Nov. 23. The council has until Dec. 1 to complete and pass a budget.

Prendergast board president Tom Rankin walks the audience through a presentation focusing on the library’s budget deficit and selling the artwork during the board’s September 2015 meeting.

JAMESTOWN – The James Prendergast Library will hold a public input session involving the future of its Art Collection Thursday night at the library.

The library board of trustees made the decision to hold the input session last month after a number of residents attended the September board meeting to speak out against selling the art collection.

According to Prendergast Board President Tom Rankin, the September numbers show the library is facing $65,000 operating deficit for this year and a $180,000 deficit for next year. To make matters worse for the library, the mayor’s executive budget on Wednesday is slashing aid for the Prendergast by $15,000, meaning the library’s spending gap may be even larger than initially projected.

Library officials believe that by selling some of the art collection – which has a total value of approximately $3.17 million – they can add more money to the library endowment, which would then help to provide additional revenue on an annual basis. The library also believes that if they were to stay committed to keeping all the artwork, they would see an addition cost for both restoration and security.

Two pieces of artwork in the Prendergast collection that could be auctioned in the coming months: Left: “Industry” by French artist Eugene Romain Thirion – painted in 1874.
Right: “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” by French artist Leon Bazile Perrault, painted in 1884.
Both are from a collection of 32 paintings given to the library at the bequest of the Prendergast family.

The board has already signed into a contract with Sotheby’s to auction the artwork, should they decide to deaccession any of the pieces. The library has also requested that County Surrogate Court Judge Stephen Cass grant the library permission to sell the artwork if it chooses. That is required because the artwork was given to the library and intended to be a permanent asset.

Tonight’s input meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the library’s fireplace room and will be facilitated by Prendergast board members Bruce Gleason and Joni Blackman. They are asking anyone with alternative solutions to selling the art collection to attend the meeting and bring their ideas forward.

The next meeting for the board of trustees is Thursday, Oct. 15,  Oct. 22, which would be the earliest that the board could met to again discuss and possible deaccession pieces of its art collection.

Prendergast board president Tom Rankin walks the audience through a presentation focusing on the library’s budget deficit and selling the artwork.

That was the decision made Thursday afternoon by the board of trustees during its regular board meeting and after a number of residents attended the meeting to speak out against selling the art collection.

According to Prendergast Board President Tom Rankin, the latest numbers show the library is facing $65,000 operating deficit for this year and a $180,000 deficit for next year.

Library officials believe that by selling some of the art collection – which has a total value of approximately $3.17 million – they can add more money to the library endowment, which would then help to provide additional revenue on an annual basis.

The library also believes that if they were to stay committed to keeping all the artwork, they would see an addition cost for both restoration and security.

“$130,000 is what we project it would cost to upgrade the Fireplace Room so that it meets the needs to continue displaying these works,” Rankin said. “But it doesn’t include staff costs to have someone manage it. It just covers the cost of fixing the HVAC and security systems.”

Rankin also said there would be separate restoration fees to consider, which would involve restringing and reframing several of the pieces.

Ten different people addressed the board during the meeting, with about half against selling the artwork, while the other half supported the board’s initial decision.

Area residents (from top to bottom): Dianne Soule, Hillary Hornyak, and Doug Champ were three of the 10 individuals who addressed the library board. Those who spoke were split between selling or keeping the art collection.

“Mary Prendergast’s will stipulated that a gallery be built in the library to house a permanent collection and it was included in the construction of 1891,” said city resident Diane Soule. “The library was a gift to the city and the art collection was part of that gift. [The community] thought it would be safe and protected. But board members voted unanimously to sell it, right out from under our noses.”

“These are assets, but there are assets in this building that are more important than these assets,” said city resident Doug Champ. “This library functions for everyone, not necessarily an art person – but a reader, or someone who’s interested in research, or someone who needs guidance when their young. So what I say to this community, ‘Would you rather be looking at the artwork? Or would you rather have a successful child who’s able to read and write and use a computer?’

“The artwork has served a purpose and now its time to move on. The artwork can not be maintained in this environment. Do you want to spend additional money and keep these on the wall or do you want to channel these to other more important assets?” Champ asked.

“I know that you have probably looked at tons of [solutions], but where are those numbers? What are the different things that we can try?” asked area resident Hillary Hornyak. “There are community members that are willing to step forward and help and I think that’s what you’re seeing here today. They want to be included in this decision and make an impact in some way.”

Later in the meeting, the board entered executive session to address personnel and contract matters and following the closed-door session, it returned to open session to announce it will not deaccession any artwork until after a public input session is held.

Rankin said the purpose of the input session is to identify fundraising options and other solutions to help close the budget deficit without having to sell the art collection.

“We recognize its an emotional issue for folks and we’re willing to listen to alternatives,” Rankin said. “A couple of folks who don’t want to sell the art said, ‘we want to sit down. W have a couple of ideas,’ and we’re willing to say, ‘Okay. Let’s sit down and listen to those ideas.”

The input meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 and will be facilitated by Prendergast board members Bruce Gleason and Joni Blackman. It will be open to the public.

One of the slides that was part of a powerpoint presentation by the Prendergast Library during its Sept. 17 meeting.

Rankin said the board’s finance committee will be meeting at the end of this month to continue to review the financial challenges facing the library and what can be done to address them.

“We want to have our budget committee meeting on Sept. 28 and hopefully, out of that meeting, we’ll have a very clear idea of where we stand for 2016. At that point, we’ll be in a better position to look at what art we might need to sell.”

The board has already signed into a contract with Sotheby’s to auction the artwork, should they decide to deaccession any of the pieces. Rankin said Sotheby’s would only be used to auction the oil paintings in the collection, much of which were willed to the library from the Prendergast and Packard families during the early 20th century.

The library has also requested that County Surrogate Court Judge Stephen Cass grant the library permission to sell the artwork if it chooses. That is required because the artwork was given to the library and intended to be a permanent asset.

The next meeting for the board of trustees is Thursday, Oct. 15, which would be the earliest that the board could met to again discuss and possible deaccession pieces of its art collection.

Another slide used during the Prendergast Library’s Sept. 17 powerpoint presentation.